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The Zephyr
The Zephyr were an ancient race of humanoids that occupied the known galaxy some several billion years before the First Arsinese Era. Their empire stretches across every system in the is galaxy, and possibly others. Their sudden disappearance is held as mostly a mystery to those who have heard of them, though a select few are aware of their true fate. They were wiped out by an Artificial Intelligence of their own creation. They are most noted for being the creators of the Warp and of the Titans. Early Origins It is impossible to tell exactly where the Zephyr empire originated from. They were human, however, and it is believed that their first system was one close to the galactic core. Regardless, their ruthless ambition and aptitude for technology allowed them to expand and grow at an alarming rate. They travelled to neighbouring systems as conquerers, taking populated planets by force and giving the inhabiting civilisations a choice - join the Zephyr, or face death and enslavement. Eventually, their empire spanned the entire galaxy. Even during peace, the Zephyr were a warlike race. Their technology allowed them to exterminate potentially threats very quickly. Their scientific advancements gave them access to dimensional gateways, time travel and the creation of life. Their vast understanding of genetics allowed them to alter their own DNA, and they were quickly transformed from human to an entirely new warlike race, powerful and agile. The transformation was not limited to military - all Zephyr, even civilians, were enhanced. An entirely new species emerged. Extinction As the Zephyr ascended to masters of the galaxy, there was a splinter group amongst them that held separate beliefs to the empire as a whole. The exact nature of this disagreement is unknown, but the separatists eventually engaged in civil war with the Zephyr. As a counter measure, a new form of military unit was created known as a Titan - capable of free thought, but ultimately a slave, the Titans utterly annihilated the separatist movement. Shortly after the creation of the Titans, a city known as the House of Gold and Bones was created in a bubble of empty space. This city was where the Warp was constructed, a system intended to allow the Zephyr to travel to neighbouring galaxies, give their Titan slaves ultimate power and allow them to view the outcomes of battles before they'd even begun, making them unstoppable. In an attempt to decipher the Warp they'd created, the Zephyr created a highly advanced artificial intelligence, which they used one of their Titans to create. The intelligence, when activated, almost immediately betrayed its own maker, mostly for reasons unknown. The Zephyr had handed the Intelligence complete control of the Warp, giving it absolute power - it destroyed all traces of their existence within a few short years, not even leaving ruins behind; only very few pieces of Zephyr technology remained. In the aftermath of Zephyr's extinction, the Intelligence turned on the Titans and drove many of them mad, leading to the Eternity War. Aftermath Since the Intelligence was incredibly thorough in its eradication of the Zephyr, next to nothing is known about them. Very few people, most of whom were somehow connected or involved in the Eternity War, even know of them. It is possible to discover ancient pieces of their technology, however. Some of it is even still functional, for example the Lazarus Device. New pieces of Zephyr technology are extremely valuable.